Show Your Scars – Mark 5:1-20

Leif Holmes

In Mark 5, there is a story that is entitled, “Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Man.” The story is about a man who Jesus encounters in the Gentile region of Gadarenes. The man is possessed by not one demon, but by a multitude of demons! In fact, when Jesus asks the demon “spokesperson” for his name, the demon replies, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” (As an aside, a Roman legion consisted of up to 6,000 soldiers!) Jesus commands the demons to leave the man. The demons then flee into a herd of pigs who run down the hillside and drown themselves in a lake. It is quite the story – to say the least!

Afterward, the man sat and talked with Jesus, fully clothed and in his right mind. Wouldn’t you like to have been there to listen to that conversation! I can only imagine what that must have been like for this man who had been rescued from such a life of torment and evil. As Jesus gets ready to leave, the man begs to go with Jesus, but Jesus tells him no, but instead, to “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you,” (v.19). The man does just that (see v.20), traveling throughout the Decapolis (which means the Ten Cities), telling everyone what Jesus had done for him.

It is a wonderful story of rescue, redemption and restoration. Perhaps lost in all of it is the fact that this man very likely was the first “missionary” to the Gentiles (who were his people). When Jesus tells him to go home to his own people, the word “people” is translated oikos. Jesus is telling the man to go back home and share with his oikos what God has done for him. And that is the same thing he wants us to do as well!

At Evergreen, we talk a lot of BLESSING your oikos. B.L.E.S.S. is an acronym that stands for believe in prayer, listen, eat together, serve and share your story. However, based on this man’s story in Mark 5, the idea of “sharing your story” might be better communicated instead by “showing your scars.” Think about it. When this man traveled around to these various towns, I’m sure most people didn’t believe it was the same man who had lived among the tombs – naked, bloody and demon-possessed. How was he to prove to them that he was the same man and that Jesus had truly delivered him? It makes sense that he most likely would have showed them his scars, the scars where he had cut himself with stones and rocks (v. 5). Showing his scars and then sharing his story – would have been a powerful witness to everyone he talked to. And the Bible tells us that everyone who heard his story was amazed (v. 20).

You and I may not have literal scars that we might show to people, but all of us have scars from various trials, painful experiences and failures. But because of Jesus’ love and mercy, we (like the man in this story), have been delivered and now have a story to tell by showing our scars. Do you think the man was embarrassed or ashamed when he showed his scars? I don’t think so. Why? Because he was excited to tell people what Jesus had done for him! In the same way, let us look for every opportunity to do the same. People can relate to that.

As John Maxwell states: “If you want to impress people, tell them about your successes. If you want to impact people, tell them about your failures.”

As we do that, may people also be amazed at what Jesus has done for us!